Bela Hawall
"If you lose a hundred times, but eventually win... that's a win." -Bela Hawall Bela Hawall is a gamer, inventor, engineer, and philanthropist by day, and a Leyline Hunter by night, operating under the codename Checkmate. Convinced that reawakening magic is the only way to fight massive environmental catastrophe, Bela is committed to ensuring a green, arcane future for humanity. History Bela Hawall was born in Ithica, New York to a wealthy family. His family was deep in the real estate business, and Bela never wanted for anything in his life... anything, that is, except a challenge. In search of that challenge, the young man threw himself at every possible intellectual pursuit he could - from AV and chess club in high school, to robotics and software design in college, he tried whatever piqued his fancy. One thing that had always piqued his fancy was magic. He would peruse the Dark Web for as long as he felt was safe, marveling at what he felt was indisputable proof of the arcane. He studied the mystical in secret, though he always stopped short of trying to use it himself. To him, the very fact that the old stories about the years AOT could be true was enough. He resolved that he would use his influence and knowledge to aid where he could, and one day help to make the world flush with magic once again. Now in his thirties, Bela maintains a dual identity. By day, the owner of a small robotics firm; by night, a vigilante working to reawaken the arcane and secure the safety of magic-users, despite not being a magic-user himself. Appearance Bela is a lean man of average height. In his everyday life he dresses sharply, with a clear intent - he is here to win, but he's also here to have fun. Bela is a smoker, but is in the process of switching to vaping; he might be seen using either. When acting as Checkmate, he wears a white tuxedo, complete with matching top hat, and featureless ivory mask. He also wears a black wig, to complete the illusion. Checkmate's mask has a mouth guard that opens and closes, so that he can smoke without revealing his identity; he takes care to smoke a different brand when in his vigilante person. Personality Bela is a fun and friendly sort. He is naturally competitive, and always plays to win, but he is also an excellent teacher, eager to impart his knowledge to others. He can be a little sensitive about his social status, knowing full well that the real reason he's gotten to enjoy such success and opportunity is because of his wealthy family. He regularly donates money to worthy causes (particularly those concerning the environment), and participates in volunteer service as a means of paying things forward. As Checkmate, Bela trades earnest fun for wisecracking. Checkmate is always either one step ahead, or trying to make it seem like he is. Checkmate tries to never draw a weapon in combat, preferring to direct more combat-ready sorts into doing the bulk of the work. Despite his mild abrasiveness, Checkmate does not consider his allies expendable; even when seemingly aiding an opponent, Checkmate is thinking ahead to his foe's inevitable comeuppance. Friends Bela keeps a healthy social life among friends, at the cost of his family life. His parents resent the fact that he has made no attempt to go into the family business, and their relationship is strained because of this. Among his co-workers, Bela painstakingly maintains the careful persona of the cool boss nobody wants to let down. As for Checkmate... nothing, yet! Enemies None of note... yet. Aspirations Bela wants to reawaken magic on Earth by whatever ethical means exist, and he uses his Checkmate persona to ensure this. Category:Modernstomia Player Characters